The anime’s reaction videos have been the target of copyright strikes and channel terminations.
According to an article from Anime Senpai, several popular reaction channels have reported these copyright strikes in recent weeks, most of them facing channel termination within seven days of when notified. One such channel is Anime Spirit, known for analyzing and reacting to episodes of the popular Japanese Doraemon series. Doraemon production studio Shin-Ei Animation flagged the channel’s content, which subsequently received 13 different amounts of copyright strikes. However, the creators denied these claims, labeling them false strikes and invoking a fair use policy to protect the originality of their videos.
Another channel hit by copyright strikes is Awake Productions, known for their response to hit shows like My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan. The creators have urged viewers to subscribe to their backup channel, with their main channel appearing to be about to be terminated. Awake is another channel that has protected its videos under “fair use”, the part of the Copyright Act 1976 that allows limited parts of the work to be used for purposes such as commentary, criticism, comment and report. However, the limits of fair use are far from clear. The official US copyright website states that “whether or not a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on all the circumstances”, a dubious ruling opened the door to for the recent increase in copyright strikes.
Anime fans are divided over the Reaction Channel crackdown
The anime community has mixed feelings about recent copyright claims, with some channels responding in favor and others skeptical of them. While the reaction channels profit from their videos, anime fans have cited numerous cases of underpaid and overworked Japanese animators, who often received little or nothing. not receive compensation for undeniably exhausting work. Meanwhile, defenders of feedback channels have called attention to the substantial and overlooked work in their content creation, with creators like Awake Productions being praised for their analysis. The thoughtfulness they provide along with the initial gut reaction to the episodes, which often leads to the removal of the medium by people unfamiliar with it.
While YouTube continues to crack down on reaction videos, the future of the medium remains uncertain. Only time will tell whether this is a temporary setback for the channels or a permanent shift in the world of anime fan content.
Source: Anime Senpai